Rare Rolex known as ‘The Unicorn’ sells for $5.9 million

A one-of-a-kind Rolex Daytona known as “The Unicorn” sold at auction over the weekend for $5.9 million, making it the second-most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction.

The purchase price at a Phillips auction in Geneva was almost twice the estimate of around $3 million. And the huge price, which was almost twice the low estimate, suggests that the recent Rolex Daytona craze shows no signs of slowing.

A Rolex Daytona owned by Paul Newman sold last year for $17.8 million, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever sold. That sale ignited the watch-collecting world, bringing in new collectors, boosting prices and setting off a mania around vintage Rolex Daytonas.

“The Unicorn” was the only vintage white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ever produced. It was sold by famed watch collector John Goldberger, who donated the proceeds to the charity Children Action.

“We are thrilled with this historic result and philanthropic gesture, and delighted by the lasting benefits the sale of this watch will provide to so many children,” said Aurel Bacs, of Bacs & Russo, which held the auction in conjunction with Phillips.